News for the Week of August 18

The Pack is (almost) Back! We are excited to welcome our families and students back to campus this week. We know some parents may be waiting on uniforms or need to exchange product for different sizes. Please rest assured we understand, and will work with you and your students as needed. If you are looking for certain items or need to try on different sizes, we have gotten a size run of specific products that you are welcome to try-on. They will be placed near the front desk.

My BackPack Access Access to My BackPack has been down this weekend. We are working with the provider to restore service as quickly as possible, we will let you know when the system is fixed.

Time to Team Up: Sporting Clays Classic Is October 25! Shoot for success at the St. Francis Sporting Clays Classic on Friday, October 25! Come enjoy lunch, 72 sporting clay targets plus ammunition, an exhilarating flurry competition, golf cart transportation, and an awards ceremony.

Check out the event website or Team and Sponsorship Commitment Form to discover the various ways you can participate. Please note that this event is not just for our school community; it’s also a chance to entertain clients, reconnect with former classmates, and introduce new families to our school. The Sporting Clays Classic benefits The Patrick Nicosia C.A.R.E. Fund, which provides cultural, academic, and recreational enrichment (C.A.R.E.) for students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to participate fully in our school programs. For more information, visit the Special Events page under the Giving tab on the St. Francis home page. You may also e- mail [email protected] or contact Will Stacy, Sporting Clays Classic chair.

MySchoolAnywhere Is Now Membership Toolkit The St. Francis Parents Association (PA) Directory and Store will now be accessible via Membership Toolkit. MySchoolAnywhere (MSA) has merged with Membership Toolkit, and MSA will no longer be available. Membership Toolkit functions much like MSA, and has an app for mobile devices. Since the PA technology chairs are in the process of updating directory data in Membership Toolkit, you will be receiving an e-mail with more details within the next couple of weeks. Until then, please use the Student/Parent Directory in My BackPack, which is accessible via the Parent Portal.

Wolf Wear Sale Starts Tomorrow Mark your calendars for Gear Up for Back to School! This is your opportunity to join the Athletics Booster Club and to purchase great new Wolf Wear styles, as well as more of your favorites. (Also be sure to stock up on Wolf Wear shirts, which can be worn on Fridays!)

Join us:

• Monday, August 19, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the People Place on the Main Campus • Tuesday, August 20, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the People Place on the Main Campus • Wednesday through Friday, August 21–23, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the foyer of the Primary School

Thank you for your support of the Athletics Booster Club this year!

Support the Fine Arts at St. Francis Do you love the fine arts? Do you want to help provide the best possible fine arts opportunities for St. Francis students? If so, please consider joining Friends of Fine Arts (FoFA), a volunteer organization that supports fine arts activities across all St. Francis school divisions.

• As a FoFA member, you’ll be at the forefront of enriching the fine arts at St. Francis, and you’ll be among the first to hear about FoFA activities and fun, fine arts–related volunteer opportunities. • Simply visit the online Wolf Den Campus Store, select “FoFA Membership” under “Memberships,” and contribute $25 in support of fine arts to become a member.

St. Francis Friends of Fine Arts thanks you for your support!

Register Today for SFSA Sports Registration is now open for soccer, basketball, T-ball, baseball, softball, and volleyball through the St. Francis Sports Association. Click here to register, and please note:

• Registration for soccer closes this Thursday, August 22. • We are happy to announce that, this year, we will be offering Primary II basketball. • For more information or with questions about registration, please e-mail Ragan Cain.

Join St. Francis Cub Scout Pack 1703 Now St. Francis Episcopal Church is proud to sponsor Cub Scout Pack 1703. Cub Scouting is available for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Once per month, each age group meets after school in their “den” under the supervision of parent leaders. There is one weekend pack activity each month, including campouts, pinewood derby car racing, and a night aboard the USS Lexington aircraft carrier! Scouting is a great way to learn new skills, make new friends, and enjoy the great Texas outdoors.

Want to find out more about St. Francis Cub Scout Pack 1703?

Join us for our first pack meeting of the school year. We’ll be meeting on Sunday, August 25, at 4:30 p.m. in St. Francis Episcopal Church’s Wheatcroft Parish Hall.

• Watch a Cub Scout flag ceremony. • Learn about the campouts and other planned activities. • Enjoy burgers and hot dogs. • Build a toy wooden airplane. • Meet the leaders. • Fill out registration forms for new Cub Scouts.

Cub Scouts can register for the new school year online here.

For more information, please click here or e-mail Will Ashby, Pack 1703 leader.

Primary School

From the Division Head

“Mystery creates wonder, and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand.” —Neil Armstrong

I hope your summer was filled with rest, relaxation, and time together as a family. Some of my most vivid childhood memories include time spent traveling in the car. When you’re a kid, you don’t always enjoy the “getting there” part of trips. The question, “Are we there yet?” is universal. We’ve all said it … and heard it from our own children. In the time before electronic entertainment in the car, the motivation for parents to travel had to be strong. There was so much waiting! I grew up in a military family, and our vacations usually involved long-distance driving to visit with relatives in both North and South Louisiana. In the summer of 1969, our trip included an historic event for our country. We drove to Cape Canaveral and left our hotel at dawn to be sure we were in place in time to watch the launching of Apollo 11.

What an adventure! We were as close as allowed to the Kennedy Space Center for viewing. The beach and roadsides were covered with families just like us. Some sat on blankets, and others camped overnight to secure a prime space. We were all there to watch this special moment. As the rocket lifted off that morning, everyone sitting on the beach chanted, “Go, go, go,” and clapped and cheered as the Saturn V rocket’s fire blazed. Even now, in this year marking the 50th anniversary, I still remember the spirit and patriotism of that moment. Several days later, we arrived in New Orleans and watched the lunar landing and late-night moon walk with our cousins. Astronauts were our heroes. For me, they still are. I am thankful for the opportunity that my parents gave my sister and me—for their enthusiasm and commitment to exposing us to the possibilities and excitement surrounding the future. This made our world bigger and richer. Their own eagerness to be part of this life-changing and historic experience did more for me than provide a long road trip for an 11-year-old. It has stayed with me. I have reflected many times on this vacation and appreciate more than ever that my parents had curiosity for the unknown, and a desire to keep learning.

Like a road trip, our year in Primary School will be adventure-filled and will have some “Are we there yet?” moments. But it is what we will learn together along the way that will be most valuable. That is what will stay with us beyond the school year.

We are glad that each of you will be a part of our journey.

All the best,

Amy Whitley, MA Head of Primary School

Primary School Dining Hall Menu To view the Primary School Dining Hall menu, please click here.

Mark Your Calendar

Monday, August 19

• PS New Family Chapel, 3:30 p.m., PS Multipurpose room • PS Meet the Teacher 4-6 p.m.

Wednesday, August 21

• First Day of School • Early Dismissal – 11:00 a.m. • Welcome to the Den Conferences

Thursday, August 22

• Early Dismissal – 11:00 a.m. • Welcome to the Den Conferences

Friday, August 23

• Early Dismissal – 11:00 a.m. • Welcome to the Den Conferences

Tuesday, August 27

• Chapel 9:30 am • Pre-Primary New Parent Meeting 8:15 a.m., PS Library • PI and PII New Parent Meeting 10:00 a.m., PS Library

Wednesday, August 28

• ·Chapel 9:30 am

Friday, August 30–Monday, September 2

• Labor Day Holiday

Lower School

From the Division Head I hope this finds you well-rested and ready to dive into the 2019–20 school year! Everyone has been VERY busy here at school getting ready for your children. We spent the inservice days setting school, division, and grade-level goals; planning the first few weeks of the curriculum; meeting with the nurse; team building; and accomplishing countless other tasks. The faculty had a summer full of professional growth and time to recharge. In addition to learning in our professional summer book clubs, many faculty members participated in professional development, including the following:

• Teachers College, Columbia University for reading and writing workshops • Local literacy classes • Gifted and talented workshops • The weeklong symposium A Teacher’s Guide to the Learning Brain: Translating Psychology and Neuroscience Research for the Classroom • Class on early literacy at Rice University • Inquiry workshop at Rice University • Technology workshop (gearing up for our new 1:1 iPads!)

And this first week back, we have spent time learning about creativity and imagination, in support of our division goal for the year.

Setting division goals is a priority for us. We believe we must have guiding principles to continue growing and learning, and ultimately to improve our program for the children. Our division goal is as follows:

We will infuse creativity and imagination through the Lower School program in order not only to master the content standards of the curriculum, but also to develop abilities to think critically and creatively about the content and to adapt and innovate in our increasingly complex, information-rich environments.

We know, based on neuroscience, that learning is a result of connections being made to one’s own prior knowledge. “Creativity comes from curiosity. The more curious you are, the more you experience and learn. The more you experience and learn, the more connections your brain is able to make. And with more connections, you can find new solutions to a problem or see things no one else can see.” —Simon Sinek

Following are just a few nuts and bolts as we all prepare for a wonderful start to school:

MORNING CARPOOL

Our morning carpool will end at 7:55 a.m. to ensure students have ample time to get out of the car and into the classrooms by 8:00 a.m. After 8:00 a.m., the child is tardy. Coming even a few minutes late to class proves to be challenging for the late student and disrupts the class happenings that begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. Feeling rushed and behind everyone else is not a positive way to start the day.

If you arrive after 7:55 a.m., please escort your child to the front desk and either try to get to class by 8:00 a.m. or go ahead and get a tardy slip from Rose Ann Gregory at the front desk. Your child will need this tardy slip to enter class after 8:00 a.m. The teachers go to the Dining Hall at 7:40 a.m. to gather their students; 7:40–8:00 a.m. is time to unpack, get materials organized, respond to the morning message, and visit with classmates.

I know we all love a few minutes of downtime to get our days started. Thank you for providing that time for your child, too!

UNIFORMS

A few years ago, our uniform changed. Below are a few changes that were made:

• We now use Tommy Hilfiger School Uniforms as the vendor. • Boys do not have ties. • There are no dress shoes. • Mondays are not dress uniform days—dress uniforms are only required on Eucharist and special days. • Socks can be any length, but must be white or navy—no designs, logos, or team names. • Girls’ hair bows and accessories must not be distracting.

FACULTY UPDATES

• As you know, Lauren Peña, our inspiring drama teacher, had a baby girl (Penny) in late April, so she continues to be out on maternity leave. We are so fortunate that Bryan Kaplun, who subbed for her in the spring, is returning to fill in until she returns in late September. He has been an amazing addition to our faculty! • Nicole Fair, our Primary School music teacher, is expanding her teaching into Lower School! She will be teaching first and fourth grades this year. • In addition, Mrs. Cruzalegui, our fifth-grade Spanish teacher, will be teaching three sections of kindergarten Spanish. She has many years of experience working with all ages of children, bringing Spanish to life for all!

We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow—Monday, August 19—from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. for “Meet the Teacher.” Kindergarten parents, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at 6:15 p.m. for a meeting, as well!

Thank you for entrusting us with your children and for allowing us to be a part of each child’s unique journey in Lower School!

See you soon, and happy new school year!

Carol R. Christ, MEd Head of Lower School

Mark Your Calendar

Monday, August 19

• New Family Chapel: 4:00 p.m. in the church • Meet the Teacher: 4:00–6:00 p.m. in classrooms • Wolf Wear Sale: 4:00–6:00 p.m. in the People Place • Kindergarten Parent Orientation: 6:15 p.m. in the Hogan Board Room (HBR); childcare will be provided

Wednesday, August 21

• First Day of School

Friday, August 23

• Spirit Dress Day: Students may wear a St. Francis shirt with jeans or uniform bottoms

Monday, August 26 • Birthday Chapel: Students with a birthday between August 1–31 will receive a birthday pencil in Chapel today

Tuesday, August 27

• Parent Meeting: 8:15 a.m. in the Hogan Board Room (HBR) • NEW Parent Meeting: 8:45 a.m. in the Hogan Board Room (HBR)

Wednesday, August 28

• Fourth-Grade Leadership Induction Chapel: 8:05 a.m. in the Fine Arts Center (FAC); dress uniform required

Friday, August 30–Monday, September 2

• Labor Day Holiday

Wednesday, September 4

• Dress Uniform Day • Opening Eucharist (Pentecost): 8:05 a.m.

Friday, September 6

• Spirit Dress Day: Students may wear a St. Francis shirt with jeans or uniform bottoms

Middle School

From the Division Head I hope you have had ample opportunity for fun and relaxation this summer. On the Main Campus, our faculty and staff are gearing up for the 2019–20 school year, and we are eager to welcome you to campus. I am excited to immerse myself in the St. Francis community in the coming months, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to serve a community dedicated to being “people for others.”

The Middle School Office has stayed busy this summer as Middle School Office Manager Leigh Williams and I have begun to settle into our new roles. This week, we welcomed our assistant heads, Christie Crummel and Marion Tolon, back to the office. Next week, the full faculty will join us, and we will continue our efforts to have a smooth and fun start to the 2019–20 school year.

For information related to both the Middle School division and the St. Francis community, we encourage you to visit the Parent Portal (in addition to reading Wolf Watch). As we get closer to our opening day, we will be sharing important information about upcoming events on campus for students and families. I encourage you to read these materials thoroughly so that you are fully informed about the various activities occurring in the SFES Middle School in the coming weeks.

Please note the following information about back-to-school events coming up this week:

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20

• New Family Chapel (1:30–2:00 p.m.) o St. Francis Chapel • Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) Orientation (2:00–4:30 p.m.) o Gym o Fifth grade only • Grades 6–8 New Student Orientation (2:00–3:30 p.m.) o Library o Grades 6–8 • Grades 5–8 “Gear Up!” (2:00–6:00 p.m.) o The People Place • Advisors, Locker Setup, Schedules, and Meet the Teacher (4:00–6:00 p.m.) o Various locations on Main Campus

OPENING WEEK: DRESS CODE AND SCHEDULES • Wednesday, August 21 • Regular uniform • Monday schedule with Chapel • Thursday, August 22 o Regular uniform o Tuesday schedule with class meeting • Friday, August 23 o Spirit dress o Friday schedule with advisory

I appreciate your time and look forward to meeting you next week!

Best regards,

Chris Bertha, MA Head of Middle School

Frozen JR. Auditions Start August 27 Auditions for the Middle School musical, Frozen JR., will start on Tuesday, August 27, at 7:15 a.m. in the Fine Arts Center (FAC) and will continue on Wednesday, August 28, and Thursday, August 29, at 7:15 a.m. in the Dance Studio. During this time, we will teach music and choreography from the show, plus students will be provided with sides from the script.

Auditions and callbacks will continue the following week, beginning on Tuesday, September 3, and continuing through Friday, September 6, in the FAC.

To help you prepare for Frozen JR. auditions, please take a look at the following YouTube links to learn basic choreography for Love Is an Open Door.

• https://youtu.be/Axh81QCAsy8 • https://youtu.be/F9SmBWrpFVg

Rehearsals for the MS musical will begin in Trimester 2, before Thanksgiving. The show performance dates are Friday, February 28, and Saturday, February 29, at 7:00 p.m. Information on important rehearsal dates will be coming soon. Please e-mail Mrs. Traber with any questions you have about the show, the audition process, or the rehearsal calendar.

Upper School

From the Division Head I hope you are enjoying a restful weekend and that your summer has been filled with play and joy. We are eager to officially welcome everyone (ninth and tenth graders this year!) back to school this week. That said, we have enjoyed getting an early start on this welcome during the past week with Cluerehearsals and cross-country and volleyball practices. It’s wonderful to hear student voices and laughter and to learn about everyone’s summer adventures!

Before getting into back-to school logistics, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the trust that you are placing in St. Francis and, specifically, in the Upper School faculty and staff. My colleagues and I are honored and humbled that you are entrusting us with the facilitation and nurturing of your children’s growth and learning. We accept this responsibility, and we commit to honoring your trust by caring for you all throughout your time at St. Francis and beyond.

To our new (to Upper School and/or to St. Francis) families, I am thrilled that you will have the benefit of an extraordinarily kind and welcoming student and parent community to rely on as you adjust to a new division/school culture. I am confident that our returning students and their families will have answers to your questions or be able to point you in the right direction to receive the information you seek.

In hopes of making the transition from “summer” mode to “school” mode as smooth and comfortable as possible, please review the following back-to- school information carefully. (Also, please remember that you can always find the most up-to-date information on the St. Francis Parent Portal.)

• On Tuesday, August 20, please join us for an orientation from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This will be your opportunity to learn about the Upper School’s rotating block schedule, to meet your advisors, to receive and practice walking through your schedules, and to start getting to know one another a bit better. o Plan to arrive at Crum Gym by 9:00 a.m. Please dress comfortably. There’s no need to bring anything. o Parents are invited to join the Admissions Team and me for a mini-orientation beginning at noon at Andrews House. Lunch will be provided for both students and parents. o Parents, please bring any medications—prescription and/or over-the-counter—that your child may need during the upcoming school year. You will have the opportunity to meet Nurse Debbie Toler at the conclusion of the parent orientation. • Complete uniform guidelines may be found in the Upper School Handbook and in our division’s back-to-school information, both of which are available on the Parent Portal under “Upper School Division Information.” In particular, please note the following: o Students should wear their daily uniform the first week of school (Wednesday–Friday). Please feel free to wear whatever you’d like for orientation on Tuesday, August 20. o Dress uniforms are worn on Eucharist Chapel Days (once per month) and as needed for special events. On dress uniform days, students should wear brown or black dress shoes. White or navy dress crew socks are required with the school dress uniform for girls. Brown, black, or navy dress crew socks are required with the dress uniform for boys. o Daily uniform (Monday–Thursday) footwear may include athletic shoes. Athletic shoes and socks may be of any color. Shorter socks may be worn with the daily school uniform, although they must be visible. o Wolf Wear may be worn on Fridays, either with uniform bottoms or jeans. • Our first official day of classes is on Wednesday, August 21. We’ll be following a special schedule so that you can learn about all of your classes in one day. You’ll receive more information about the schedule during orientation (for new Upper School students) or on the first day of school (for returning students). • Our New Family Chapel will be held on Tuesday, August 20, from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. in Andrews House. All parents are welcome to join us for the first Upper School Chapel of the new school year. • You’ll find information about carpool drop-off and pickup procedures (which will also be explained during orientation) on the Parent Portal home page. Simply scroll down to “Upper School Division Information” and click on “Back to School General Info.” In closing, I hope that your families enjoy the last couple of days of summer break. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding year of learning!

Sincerely,

Cara Henderson, EdD Head of Upper School

Mark Your Calendar

Tuesday, August 20

• Student Orientation: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. in Crum Loft • Parent Orientation: 12:00–1:00 p.m. in Andrews House • New Family Chapel: 1:00–1:30 p.m. in Andrews House

Wednesday, August 21

• Special Schedule • Regular Uniform

Thursday, August 22

• Day 1 Schedule • Regular Uniform

Friday, August 23

• Day 2 Schedule • Spirit Dress

Church

Blessing of the Backpacks: Today and Next Sunday Today, all students are invited to participate in a St. Francis tradition by bringing their backpacks to the 9:00 a.m. service to receive a blessing for the new school year. Students will also receive a special token to affix to their backpacks, reminding them that God is always with them. We will bless backpacks again next Sunday, August 25, at the 9:00 a.m. service.

Want to find out more about St. Francis Cub Scout Pack 1703?

Join us for our first pack meeting of the school year. We’ll be meeting on Sunday, August 25, at 4:30 p.m. in St. Francis Episcopal Church’s Wheatcroft Parish Hall.

Cub Scouts can register for the new school year online here.

For more information, please click here or e-mail Will Ashby, Pack 1703 leader.

Fall First Communion Classes Start September 8 First communion classes begin Sunday, September 8. This eight-week course is designed to prepare second-grade students to receive the Holy Eucharist.

Contact Allison Devlin for information or to sign up.

Sunday Programs at St. Francis Episcopal Church

• Let It Shine! Children’s Bible Breakout: After the children’s message during the 9:00 a.m. service, all children in pre-K through middle school are invited to follow the cross to participate in the Let it Shine! Children’s Bible Breakout. Children will learn lessons from the Bible, act out Bible stories, memorize key verses from Scripture, and pray together. They will return to the service during the announcements. • LightHouse Expressions in Art: During the 10 o’clock hour, children in pre-K to middle school are invited to meet in the Guild Room to create an art project reinforcing the Bible lesson and key verse discussed during Let it Shine! High school youth are invited to serve as leaders and helpers during this time. • Breakfast Bites and Fellowship: Please join us in the Wheatcroft Parish Hall for coffee, donuts, and light bites after the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services.